Practicing Like Our Hair is on Fire, Leading up to the 2020 Election

There is so much collective fear, anxiety, and stress related to the upcoming elections and all the uncertainties we are facing as a country. How do we practice in this time leading up to the election and its aftermath? When things within or around us feel this intense, we are called to “practice like our hair is on fire” - because that’s what it feels like! Practice can help put out this fire, like dousing ourselves with water!

At the last gathering of the Energy Matters Sangha (mindfulness practice community), I shared some suggestions to start people thinking about this for themselves. This is one form of safety planning for these times. It is worth devoting some attention to, so we can be resilient and not default to our usual coping habit patterns - the easy soothing that usually leaves us feeling worse after. That can be like putting gasoline on the fire - it’s liquid, but doesn’t help.

How do we find solidity in the midst of so much uncertainty, be in agency and choice to the extent possible, and not feel whipped around by the circumstances around us? Not to hide from what is happening around us - which is neither ethical, helpful, nor possible! But so we can be a beacon of wisdom, responsiveness, and peace, no matter what is happening - for ourselves, our families, friends and communities, and ultimately rippling out into the world. Here are some suggestions:

1) Come back to the present moment/ that which is in front of you, again and again. This can seem too basic and simple to ‘work’ in such desperate times, but it’s a truly powerful practice. Now more than ever with sheltering in place and turning to our devices for connection, on screens for work or school - how much of the time are our minds not actually here with our bodies? Some ways you can do this are:
a) Take several moments everyday to orient to what is around you: move your head and neck to look around the room and out the window. With your eyes open or closed, feel the sensation of your body making contact with the seat beneath you, and your feet on the floor. Feel your breath, for 3 - 10 breaths. I suggest setting a timer to go off every 15 or 30 minutes to come back to what is real, right here in front of you and beneath you.
b) Take 5 minutes at the start of each meal to really connect with your food. Instead of reading, listening, watching, or talking, and instead of consuming your own thoughts and feelings, look at and connect with your food - the smell, textures, and tastes.
c) Walking outside, notice if you’re in your head, and come back and orient to what is around you: the sky, birds, flowers, trees, and the sensation of your feet making contact with the Earth as you walk. Do this a few times during your walk.

2) Incorporate periods of structured practice or stress relief one or more times a day. This can include sitting or walking meditation, yoga, qi gong, creative outlets like singing, drawing or cooking, or even intense cardiovascular workouts such as dancing, trampolining, or walking up and down stairs. Even if you didn’t include structured practice time in your day before, practicing when your hair is on fire may necessitate doing so!

3) Being in community, a part of something bigger, can be extremely protective, no matter what happens - not just 1-on-1 but in groups. This can be a group of family, friends, or activity, political, or spiritual groups. Even though the pandemic impacts our ability to gather in person, people are being very creative in how we can gather online these days.

At the same time, if you connect via social media (as opposed to video chatting, phone calls, emails, letters, or texts) - set a finite number of times you check your social media accounts each day (like once or twice daily), and set a timer each time so you don’t get sucked in. The recent documentary The Social Dilemma reveals how social media like Facebook creates powerful addictions that affect the same brain pathways as drugs. A lot of the divisiveness, fear, and misinformation we are witnessing in our country right now is a direct result of how social media works.

4) Decide how you will get your news: what source, how often and how long you will check (I suggest no more than 1 or 2 times daily), and consider going at least one day a week without it altogether. If you miss something, don’t worry: you will get informed about it soon enough! This is a way you can practice your own agency, rather than being a pawn of the news cycle.

5) Take action: the difference between what makes a situation feel traumatic vs. stressful is a feeling of helplessness and powerlessness in a situation. There are many opportunities to volunteer or donate right now, including from the safety of your own home.

6) Make a plan for how you will spend election night - what will truly be helpful and supportive for you, regardless of what happens? This may be watching election results while on a zoom gathering or text thread with those you care about. Or gathering remotely with a small group of friends who may want to meditate together, share poems, songs, stories, or jokes, even as you assign one person to give an occasional update (or not). There are lots of possibilities, so take the time to check in with your body to see what might feel the most supportive to you.

Meditation teacher Tuere Sala says it well: “We’re not trying to stand in the middle of something and know that the situation will pass, we’re trying to stand in the middle of it and know that our overwhelm will pass. That’s what’s passing. The situation itself may take a long time, and we have to [make] some effort in it. But what we’re aimed at as practitioners is to first let our overwhelm pass, let it be, let it rise and fall as all emotions do.”